Perspective

You know, it's all about how you look at things.

Version 1
Today, I thought I'd pop down to the beach, perhaps sit a while in the sunshine, read my current book, and perhaps have a swim.
Mum had recently mentioned how warm the water was up at Woolgoolga, where she's currently caravanning with dad, so..why not?

I packed my little essentials bag (towel, water, sunscreen, sarong, hat, book) and found my beach chair. The teenagers declined to come, telling me the water was going to be too cold, and they had other things to do. Ah well, their loss!

Flynn's beach was the preferred option, and boy didn't everyone else think so! I carefully made my way through the single lane of traffic, with everyone's cars carefully parked on either side of the road to allow just one car through - clever driving required, with kids and boards, and people getting in/out of their parked cars.
Didn't take long though, and I found a park 5 minutes walk to the beach - now that is a pleasure - hardly any walk from the car to the surf. I got out, wandered over to the edge of the road, and casually walked down the wooden stairs onto the beach. Wishing I'd brought my sunnies though...a bit glary - the sun was out, the water was flying, the bluest sky - gorgeous!

I put my things down on the sand, took off my sexy nanna hat :-) and went to the surf. Boy wasn't the surf choppy - very rough waves, and almost no one in the water. Once I put my foot in...I realised why.
1. The water was so cold, I swore, loudly, outload and caused glares from a nearby grandma. I'm talking FREEZING! The only people in the water were 8 year old boys, who everyone knows can't feel the cold; they just go blue.
2. It was so frothy, and rough that you simply would have spent all your time standing upright, let alone trying to swim.

Well, that was that. I wandered slowly back up the beach, got back in the car, and headed home. I did learn that I like Flynn's, having not been there before. Very nice beach, protected somewhat from the wind, with some great rocky outcrops. I plan on heading back there this arvo with the camera...I reckon I can get some great shots in the afternoon light.

Version 2
So, I decided I'd actually get off my fat arse and head to the beach - was sticky hot this morning, and I thought I'd wasted all summer not going to the beach once. Well. It rained in December. January wasn't that hot, and I travelled most weekends. February is hotter, and it hasn't rained at all for weeks...so...time to head to the beach.

I packed up my stuff, searching high and low for the bloody sunscreen - teenagers had used and lost, of course. Squeezed my aforementioned fat arse into some swimmers (togs, bathers, cossie) and found an old towel. As USUal the teenagers decided not to come (lazy, grumbling whingers) and so I headed out, again, as usual, Alone.

The 10 minute drive was fine, until I got to Flynn's. The bloody ridiculous design involves a one way drive down to the beach, with parking - get this - on BOTH sides. Leaving just enough room for a mini minor to drive through without clipping off both it's mirrors. And every man and his dog seemed to be getting into their cars, with boards, and 2 year old tantrum throwers, and tired mums. So, they wandered, blocking the road, taking their time, while I sat in my car waiting and waiting for them to eventually realised they were backing traffic back up to the main road!!!

I evenually found a park. Grabbed my bag, and tried to find a way down to the beach. Well, of course there's no path, is there, so I became one of the people blocking the road, because there's NOWHERE ELSE TO WALK!

I realised that the view was becoming slightly blurry, and I blinked a couple of times trying to figure out what I was seeing. I was looking down onto the main part of the beach, and as I was walking it seemed like I was looking through a piece of gauze...
1. This was because the glare was so intense, it was like white hot needles shoving themselves through my eyes to the back of my head, and my eyes were watering like a stream. I've lost my sunnies, soooo....nothing I can damn do about that.
2. In addition, the surf was so bloody wild, it was throwing up spray like a 3 year old with an open bottle of johnson and johnson baby powder.
It was - ridiculous. I was damned if I was going home before I had a bloody swim though, so I plonked my stuff down next to the flags, dodging the nippers running around everywhere.

As I walked towards the surf, I noticed that there were very few people actually in the water...just a lot of kids. Then again, the waves were so high, I couldn't really see out the back. The very first trickle of water washing over my feet slammed the reason directly into my nervous system. BLOODY HELL!!!! It was like landing in ice. I swore, instintively, causing some old nanna to glare. I persisted, stupidly, walking out to where the water was up to my knees. At this point, I started laughing, hysterically, and turned and waded out. Several waves licked their way further up my legs as I quickly strode out.
What a friggin' waste of time. I got my gear, got in the car, and headed home. And that's why I don't got to the beach.